The Red Strings Encompassing Fate's Flower
by Keiko Yanagiri
Summary: A chance encounter between two who should never have met, sets into motion a a blossoming romance that shouldn't exist. NanoFate. Rated T.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: This first chapter will be quite short, and I don't plan on the overall story being very long. In any case, this is my first real attempt at things, so I hope you love it.  
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><p><em>The Red Strings Encompassing Fate's Flower<em>

_Keiko Yanagiri_

_Chapter 1: A Chance Encounter of Less Than 45 Seconds_

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><p>It was a very hot afternoon, and warm droplets of sweat went down my face as I ran at full speed. I wasn't going anywhere in particular. In truth, I was worried about my weight a little; physical exams were coming up, and I wanted to be at my best. Hayate would have laughed at me if she knew I was so concerned, which was easy for her to do since she never seemed to put on any pounds.<p>

I ran even faster now, thinking about her, not wanting to be humiliated. The sweat got into my eyes, and I used my arm to wipe it away, as I was blindly turning a corner.

"Ek!" A soft voice came out as I collided with something, or someone for that matter. My vision cleared up, and I found myself hanging over a very beautiful girl that looked to be about my age.

Her skin was pale, like she'd never seen the sun before. Her hair, brown like the autumn leaves, and her eyes were just as wonderful a color. They were wide, and her cheeks flushed, and I just stared at her for a few moments before realizing my stupidity.

"I'm sorry!" I got up off her, and extended my hand to the girl. Her delicate fingers touched mine; I pulled her up to her feet, and let her go. Noticing a parasol at her side, I reached down and grabbed it, handing it over. "I'm very sorry, I should have been paying attention."

"N-No . . . its no problem." She seemed a little frightened, and hung the umbrella over her, sighing with relief now that the sun being blocked by it.

There was a quiet period of time that passed, before the girl finally got the nerve to speak again. "I-I have to go."

"Y-Yeah." I stuttered out, and watched her pass me, moving along at a pleasant pace. I even noticed that from a distance she looked quite refined, and was also pretty from the back.

Once she was gone, her spell over me was broken and I was finally able to come back to reality. Shaking my head I started running again, filled with images of the beautiful girl under the parasol.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: I really didn't intend for this to take so long. Got a little stuck, since I'm writing all this from the top of my head, but I pulled through. With this, I can really start moving. Please enjoy. _

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><p><em>The Red Strings Encompassing Fate's Flower<em>

_Keiko Yanagiri_

_Chapter 2: Under The Crescent Moon_

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><p>"Yo Fate-chan!" Hayate gave me a warm greeting when I opened the door and saw her disgustingly happy face. Even in the morning she was energetic; I envied her enthusiasm.<p>

"Good Morning." I said, and let her in. We sat down and had breakfast together, with Mother humming as she set food on our plates.

From across the table, Hayate grinned, and I knew what was coming.

"So, ready for health exams, Fate-chan~?" _I knew it. _

"Just so you know, I'm not telling you a thing when its over." I knew that wouldn't make a difference, since one of her guardians was the school nurse; she would just squeeze the information out later anyway.

In the end I skipped on half of my breakfast, feeling uncomfortable under my best friend's watchful eyes.

The path to school was plain as usual, and it was also hot, even though it was still early in the morning. I hated days like this, but it couldn't be helped since I was a high schooler now.

"So Fate-chan, did you think about what I told you last night?"

"Yeah, and the answer is still no."

My sister Alicia was coming home from college in a few days, and Hayate wanted me to introduce them properly since she had a huge crush on the woman. They met once, and it was a insignificant encounter, but apparently Hayate was taken with her beauty, forgetting that despite being born in different years, I looked just like her.

"Its not the same," She told me, "Unlike you, your sister is mature."

"Whatever you say." And that was that. She pouted and I ignored it, instead deciding to worry about the impending doom that was health exams.

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><p>It was worse than I thought. I gained 10 pounds since last time, and I didn't grow any taller. To make it more dreadful, none of that fat went into my breasts, so there was nothing to feel good about. Regardless, Shamal patted me on the back, and promised not to tell Hayate, even though she would.<p>

Sure even, when I was leaving, I saw Hayate and she saw me, smiling widely when she saw my downcast expression. I just quickly got out of there, wallowing all the way to my homeroom.

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><p>"Welcome home." Mother greeted me.<p>

"I'm home." I said back, though I was tired. I just marched up to my room and fell flat on my bed, closing my eyes. It was so exhausting sometimes being around Hayate. But whatever the reason I enjoyed it, so despite her constant teasing, I was friends with her.

Somehow I lost track of time. I slipped in and out of consciousness. When I finally got a good grip again, hours had passed and night had fallen.

Dinner was ready but I declined for now. Rather than that, I decided to take an evening stroll first to work up an appetite. The fresh air was just was I needed, and the night brought down the temperature to tolerable levels.

The moon in the sky smiled down on me while I walked the streets, enjoying the quiet of the empty community. I probably should have been worried about strange people or criminals that could jump out at any time, but instead I skipped along, savoring these moments.

I passed by the nearby park, and nearly kept going, except I stopped and froze in place. A girl – the girl I knocked down before – was sitting on one of the swings, looking up at the moon. Even now she was pretty – actually, she probably looked even more beautiful than before, like a doll.

Captivated again, I stepped out into the park. She noticed, and her eyes blinked with a hint of surprise before becoming calm, a smile forming on her face.

"You know, its dangerous to be out at night by yourself." So I said, though I was one to talk.

"My house is right there, so its fine." She responded, pointing at one of the nearby homes.

I was nervous, but I saw on the swing beside her. At first the girl was quiet, but then she looked up again, and then to me.

"The moon is really pretty, I couldn't help myself, since I don't get out often." She flinched, and her face twisted with regret. "Do you live around here too?"

"Yes, I'm pretty close by." Our conversation thus far didn't seem to interesting, and yet, the girl continued to smile, as though she was truly enjoying it.

"I'm Nanoha by the way."

"Eh?" It was sudden, her name, so I was surprised.

"Nanoha Takamachi. This is the second time we've met, so I think its fine to introduce ourselves." Her eyes glowed brightly, staring into mine.

"I'm Fate Testarossa."

"Fate-chan . . . ." She twisted the words in her mouth, playing with them. "I like it, its kind of cool." She laughed and my face flushed bright red.

Nanoha rose from the swing to her feet, stretching.

"It was nice to meet you Fate-chan, but I have to go home now or everyone will worry. I sneaked out after all." She gave me a wave, and a feeling on unrest like none I've felt before washed over me.

"Nanoha." She stopped, looking at me with question. Even I didn't know really what to say, but I kind of knew what I wanted. "Would it . . . be all right to meet again?" Besides Hayate, I didn't have any other friends, so now was my chance, my only chance.

Nanoha seemed to be pleased, maybe even . . . happy if I had to guess.

"I love to. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" She didn't specify a time or place, but somehow I knew as she was walking away, that she meant this place, and this time. I nodded, even though she couldn't see it.

And when she was gone, I looked up at the moon, admiring its beauty like she'd done before I arrived. A feeling of warmth flowed through me, and into my heart.

"Nanoha . . . ."


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: I had many ideas of how I wanted to do things with this chapter, but it turned out rather well despite all my crazy ideas. Keep in mind that the pace will be quick, and development will happen swiftly, just a warning now. I don't know when I'll end this story, but I know how, and it will be absolutely wonderful. But until then I'll keep you in suspense, and let you find out for yourselves when the time comes. _

_Thank you for all the praise, I'm glad you're enjoying this story so much. I'll do my best to keep improving it as we go on. I'll also try to make the chapters longer as well. So until then, enjoy~!_

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><p><em>The Red Strings Encompassing Fate's Flower<em>

_Keiko Yanagiri_

_Chapter 3: The Sickly Girl_

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><p>A new day arrived, and with it, came a dreadful storm. My sister, Alicia Testarossa, and her boyfriend, Yuuno Scrya. They came together, early in the morning, just after breakfast, and much sooner than expected. Mother was shocked when she saw the boy, who to be honest, looked kind of fluffy – maybe the right word is nonthreatening - , like a ferret. I pretended to be surprised, since I already knew, as Alicia would call me all the time and not shut up about it.<p>

Nevertheless Mother welcomed them both with a warm smile on her face, though she looked a little nervous. I figured that perhaps she was trying to make a good impression of our family, not that she really needed to; if Yuuno was with my sister, than he could handle anything.

I had school so I didn't really have time to bother with any pleasantries. I prepared and went out to meet Hayate who was coming up the street as I left the house. I waved and caught up to her, so she could save her breath.

I told her about Yuuno, since it would be better to crush her dreams now rather than later. At first she was quite dejected, but quickly recovered as I would expect from a ball of energy such as her. Of course, she wasn't over it, as she _energetically_ talked about how much better she was for Alicia. I nodded every now and then, and managed to just let her do all the talking this time.

At the back of my mind, I had a feeling, and a memory popped up. It was Nanoha, and her smiling face. I was so distracted by it that I bumped into a passerby; that stopped Hayate for only about 5 seconds before she rambled again. And I was back into the far reaches of my mind.

_I hope she shows up._

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><p>I went to the park at the arranged time, and sure enough, Nanoha was there, waiting for me with that wonderful smile.<p>

"Fate-chan! I was worried that you wouldn't come."

"Me too." And we shared a laugh.

When I got close to her, I noticed something rather odd. It was surely my imagination, but her skin seemed to have even less color than yesterday. She was a bit paler, or so it looked. Nonetheless I ignored it and focused on her lips, which were moving.

"Fate-chan."

"Yes?" I only now tuned into things.

"You weren't listening?"

"Sorry." And it wasn't like I could tell her the reason, that I was so preoccupied with her appearance that I didn't notice. "What were you saying?"

"Mou," She pouted a little, it was cute. "I wanted to know . . . ." She trailed off, pondering things with a finger to her chin; also cute. "Ah! I wanted to know what kind of food you liked!" Before I could ask why, she reached down, under the swing, pulling up a small box. "I brought something, I thought we could eat it together." She revealed what was inside, some cookies and cake.

"Nanoha, this is a little . . . ." It wasn't that I didn't like such things, there was just so much.

"Nyahahaha, my family runs a bakery, so we always have extra."

"I see." She looked up at me, expecting something. Putting myself and her at ease, I grabbed one of the cookies, and took a bite; her eyes widened even more. "Its good." It wasn't a lie, though that didn't mean it was perfect, it was a little too sweet for my tastes. Even so, Nanoha's face brightened up.

"Thank goodness. Actually, I made the cookies. It was my first time, so I wasn't sure about the taste."

"Its a bit too sweet, but its really good." She blushed and giggled.

"I'll try again next time then, to make Fate-chan's perfect cookie." She winked, and now it was my turn to blush.

Afterward we finished the sweets and the time passed. We talked about various things, and I learned that Nanoha was actually a year younger than me, and was being home schooled, since her body was a little weak and her parents were overprotective.

After a while, she coughed lightly, and laughed about it.

"I guess its time for me to go."

"I'll walk you home." Even though it was only minutes away, I didn't want her to take any chances.

"Okay."

The two of us walked side by side, quietly, with no need for added conversation as we had already gotten out fill.

We came to the Midoriya Cafe. Nanoha turned into me, and we looked at each other. Goodbyes were awkward.

"Thank you for today, Fate-chan. It was fun."

"Yeah, I had fun too." As if anticipating what I wanted to say next, she smiled.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Fate-chan." I nodded and waved at her while she went inside, quietly, since she was sneaking around after all. She looked back at me once, and waved. And I noticed it again – and still thought nothing of it – that her face was pale. But she was soon gone, and there was no need to dwell on it. So I turned around and headed home.

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><p>"Ohoho, you were gone for a quite a while, Fate." Alicia was there was I came inside, having a drink with Yuuno and Mother, who turned to face me. "Don't tell me . . . you found yourself a boyfriend? I knew you had it in you, Sis." Mother's eyes went wide with shock, and she shuffled about needlessly.<p>

"She's too young to be dating, she's only 14." I sighed a long sigh.

"Its not like that. I was meeting someone, but she's only a friend." This may have calmed Mother down, but Alicia's face twisted with an unpleasant grin.

"There are relationships like _that_, I guess." Again, Mother got riled up.

"I said it's not like that!" Ignoring my sister's snickering about my finally having reached "that age", I pushed past them and headed to my room.

I took comfort on my bed, warming myself under the covers. I thought about Nanoha, and what Alicia said, and even more stupid things.

_Geez, stupid Alicia! _

I was exhausted again, and just went to sleep. _Stupid . . . _

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><p>Nanoha did not show up the next day. She did not come the following day, or the day after either. Three days had passed, and I felt anxious, maybe even irritated.<p>

_Why hasn't she come?_ I thought, though it was useless and only made me feel even worse. _Is she busy? _I also considered the dark possibility that Nanoha didn't like me anymore, and was avoiding me. Of course I shook my head at the thought. We had just become friends, and I don't think I did anything to upset her.

Both Alicia and Hayate noticed my recent nervousness. Since I only told Alicia about Nanoha, the other girl was naturally confused, and thought that I was going through a certain thing that happened once a month. Again, Alicia suggested that I had a thing for Nanoha, which wasn't true, I just wanted to know the reason why she didn't come, that's all.

And then she suggested something else, that _I _go see her. It had crossed my mind a few times, but I didn't want to disturb her or her family with my stupidity. So I fumed for the rest of the day, worrying myself silly.

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><p>On the forth day, Alicia finally convinced me to go see Nanoha, though not without some teasing. It was the weekend, and still afternoon, though it would get dark soon.<p>

When I got there, the bakery was still open, and looking into the window, I saw a woman that could only be described as gorgeous. I assumed that to be Nanoha's mother.

I entered the shop and got the generic welcome. I blushed in the presence of this woman, because she reminded me of my first impression of Nanoha; I was also quite nervous.

"Um . . . Ma'am . . . ."

"Can I help you?" She looked really kind, and it was getting harder to say what I wanted to say.

"Actually I'm here . . . here to see Nanoha."

Her eyes softened, and I don't know why, but they seemed sad.

"I'm sorry dear, but Nanoha is-"

"Mom." A voice interrupted her, and seconds later, Nanoha appeared, though she was stumbling, and struggled to stay on her feet. But still, she smiled at me like always. "Its okay, right Mom?"

"Fine," The woman agreed, "But only for a little bit." Nanoha's mom stood aside and I followed my friend into the back, to her room, where she laid down and covered herself up.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't meet you Fate-chan, I've been a little under the weather." I nodded and felt bad, not just for doubting her, but also for making her get up from bed.

"Is it all right for me to be here, Nanoha?"

"Hehe, of course."

So I stayed with her, but the entire time, I couldn't shake the feeling of uneasiness that was beginning to fill my heart.


	4. Chapter 35

_Author's Note: I deliberated a lot with myself on how long this chapter would be, and what would be the content. I decided that it should be a sort of side chapter, as it deals with Hayate more than Nanoha, and its quite short. Anyway, this will also set a few things into motion, which will come into play soon enough, so its not all filler. With that said, this should tide you over until I come up with a real chapter. Enjoy.  
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><p><em>The Red Strings Encompassing Fate's Flower<em>

_Keiko Yanagiri_

_Chapter 3.5: Enter Hayate_

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><p>A month has passed since I first met Nanoha. It seemed to go by so quickly, but at the same time, it was like the month had lasted an eternity already.<p>

I spent a lot of my free time with Nanoha now, and learned a lot about her, though it felt like I still had a lot to learn, and a lot that I wanted to learn about her.

As a result of my recent busyness, I've neglected Hayate, and she was none too happy about that. That's why, I invited her over to my house. Nanoha was here as well, but that's just what Hayate wanted, she wanted to see the girl who "stole her Fate-chan away" as she put it.

Hayate arrived not long after she called and whined about being lonely, and even when I saw her face, she was sulking a little.

"Welcome Hayate. Nanoha's upstairs, try not scare her away."

"Hmph, I'm not that kind of petty side character."

"Yeah yeah." I escorted her upstairs, and opened the door to my bedroom. Nanoha straightened up, and gave her best smile. This felt like a marriage interview with her acting so nervous.

"Hello. I'm Nanoha Takamachi, nice to meet you!" Hayate, who a moment ago looked ready to storm the room, seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Hayate."

"R-Right." After recovering, she blushed and introduced herself. After we sat down, Mother brought us tea and snacks.

The air was a little odd. It felt like Hayate was sizing Nanoha up, getting a good read on the girl. Of course this was making her uncomfortable, since she never really had much contact with others.

Finally, Hayate sighed, and gave a defeated smile. Her hands were also shaking.

"Damn it, she's so cute, I wanna hug her!" And she lunged at Nanoha, engulfing her. Immediately I yanked my idiot friend off.

"As you can see, Hayate is like that. She sees a cute girl and acts like an idiot."

Nanoha of course, embarrassed, blushed heavily, and for a moment, I think I knew how Hayate felt. She was so small, so cute, that you did want to hug her.

But I chased those thoughts away and reprimanded Hayate some more about respecting someone's personal space before letting her go.

Things finally calmed down enough for Nanoha to talk about her life some more, and to learn a little about mine. The whole time I couldn't help but watch her, inhale every word she said, and notice how happy she looked about even the smallest things.

Before I knew it, Hayate was getting up to go home.

"You're leaving already?"

"Yeah, I'm sure Vita will get lonely if I'm gone for too long." She said, refering to her cousin, who acted like a jealous little sister half the time. "Never mind that, come here for a sec." She led me outside, and closed the door so that Nanoha couldn't see.

"Whats this about, Hayate?"

"I get it, I understand now Fate-chan." I had no idea what she was talking about, but the grin on her face was unnerving. "I get why you've been spending so much time with Nanoha-chan. She's really beautiful, don't ya think?"

My face flared up, and I was about ready to deny it, even though it was true that I thought she was pretty.

"What are you getting at?" I had my suspicions, but I needed to be sure.

"You like her right? I could see the way you look at her, Fate-chan!"

_I knew it. _

"First of all, be quiet." She was being too loud, and this was the last thing I wanted Nanoha to hear. "Second, I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'm not like that. Both you and Alicia, why are you both idiots?"

Hayate sighed, shaking her head from side to side.

"Whatever you say, my sweet, delusional Fate-chan." She patted on me on the shoulder, and it kind of pissed me off. Nevertheless, she quickly made her retreat and finally left.

I felt tired from that interaction, but sucked it up and went back into my room, where Nanoha waited.

She was blushing, so I figured she probably heard.

"Don't listen to that idiot, she's only joking around." She nodded. I looked at her for longer than I should have, still twisted up by Hayate's words. She squirmed under my gaze and I finally came back to reality.

And so the day passed without any more incidents, and Nanoha soon went home as well. On the way out, I watched her walk down the street, escorted by Mother who wanted me to start working on m homework rather than walk Nanoha home.

She really was pretty, even when I couldn't see her face. I lingered for a moment more, my face completely red, and then turned around and went back inside.


	5. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: Like I promised, a real chapter is here to develop the relationship of our favorite couple. I'm not going to say anything, and will get to work on the next one after some much needed sleep. Goodnight.  
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><p><em>The Red Strings Encompassing Fate's Flower<em>

_Keiko Yanagiri_

_Chapter 4: Winter Flowers in Bloom  
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><p>A harsh hail of snow came down from the sky. Pushed by the wind, it blinded me, and made it hard to walk. Despite the blizzard and the cold I moved on, and neared my destination.<p>

Finally I arrived, to the small bakery that had I spent many days. I opened the doors and was greeted by a sweet smell, and a friendly welcoming.

"Welcome Fate-chan, I hope you didn't have too much trouble out there." Momoko said.

"It was no trouble at all, Momoko-san." I offered to her my coat, and in exchange she gave me two cups of tea.

"She's waiting for you, make sure she drinks the tea this time."

"Okay." I bowed to her and headed to Nanoha's room. Her eyes lit up when they met mine, and her bright smile warmed me up.

I sat down and handed her one of the cups. "Drink up."

"Hmph, Mom put medicine in there, right?"

"Nope." I said with a straight face, though she didn't believe me and took the other cup, having a sip and wincing from the bitter taste of the medicine that Momoko added.

"You tricked me."

"You need to drink it, or you wont get better."

"Boo boo~." She pouted for a few seconds, before averting her eyes. "Hey Fate-chan . . . " She pursed her lips and held the cup to me. "If you give it to me like this, then I'll drink it." I admit that I was a little surprised, and blushed as a result, before shaking my head.

"I knew Hayate would be a bad influence on you." She giggled, and retracted, drinking the tea of her own accord, wincing with each sip. I also drank some of mine, observing her cute reactions.

Already the seasons had changed, and we were in the midst of Winter. Unfortunately, Nanoha was quite weak during this time, so she had to stay indoors most days. Still I visited her every day, sometimes with Hayate, mostly by myself, which I preferred anyway.

"Hehe~." Nanoha was staring at me intensely, with a weird grin on her face.

"W-What is it? Do I have something on my face?"

"Nope. You just looked kind of lost in thought, your far away face was _really_ cute right now." I became red all over again, and looked away from her. "Oh, are you embarrassed? Hehe~!"

"Mou Nanoha, you're the one who's cute." Her eyes went wide, and her face became even more flushed than it was before. I thought I might have said something strange, but then she brightened up.

"Noooo way~!" She cried, holding her face and sounding like an old woman.

Her reaction was so silly that I couldn't help but laugh; and very soon after, she followed and doubled over in fits with the occasional cough in between.

When the two of us settled down we chatted about the usual things, but more often than not the topic came to my high school. Since she had never gone, Nanoha was interested to know what kind of things I did there. I told her the truth about it, and even though I thought that my daily life was boring, she absorbed all of it, and got more excited by the second.

After a long time – I'm not sure how long exactly – Nanoha finally finished interrogating me about school life. It was about time for me to go.

Momoko came in suddenly, she had a bittersweet smile on her face.

"Fate-chan, I'm afraid its really coming down. I think you should stay the night." The moment she said it, Nanoha face changed and it looked as though it were Christmas for the girl. "Don't worry, I already called your mother, and I have a change of clothes."

"Okay, thank you."

"Not at all, you're already family." She joked and left us alone after a few giggles.

And now, Nanoha was even more excited than ever; it was probably her first sleepover, so I decided to be just as happy about it.

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><p>Late into the night, when the two of us finally tired out, we rested and laid side by side in separate futons. The clock on the wall ticked, and the sound became painfully loud as silence overtook us.<p>

With the lights off, the two of us covered up on this chilly December night. When more time passed I thought Nanoha had already fallen asleep, but then her arms wrapped around me, and her chest pressed against my back.

"N-Nanoha!"

"You're warm, Fate-chan." She snuggled in close to me, and wrapped herself tighter around. "Do you hate it?"

"No, I was just surprised."

"Ehe~."

My heart was racing, and feeling the pulse on my back, I could sense that Nanoha's was as well. Without thinking I placed my hands over hers.

"Here, like this you're hands can be warm too."

"Thank you, Fate-chan."

And like that we remained, closer than we've ever been before. Eventually Nanoha fell asleep, but I stayed awake, unable to close my eyes. The sandman wouldn't come for me, and for some reason, I couldn't come up with an answer for the question on my mind.

Why wouldn't my heart stop beating so quickly?


	6. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: There were a lot of ways that I wanted to do this chapter, but it turned out like this, and I'm pretty happy with it, short as it is. I'll leave it at that, enjoy. _

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><p><em>The Red Strings Encompassing Fate's Flower<em>

_Keiko Yanagiri_

_Chapter 5: The Girl's Confession_

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><p>Nanoha got a little weaker today. She had been fine for a week, but I guess the cold temperatures took their toll on her, so now she was confined to bed once again.<p>

While I was there I fed her warm soup, and made sure that she didn't strain herself too much. I felt like a mother, but at the same time I enjoyed myself since I liked taking care of her. I could sense her unhappiness at not being able to do things for herself, but nonetheless she seemed happy to be with me, and I was happy to be by her side as well.

My heart was beating fast again. It happened more frequently than before, and now I was painfully aware of it. I think I understood the reason now, why my heart beat so quickly while I was near her, but I didn't it expect things to be like this way.

Somehow, at some point, I had fallen in love with her, and now my adolescent heart ached at the mere thought of her. I wish things weren't like this, because it makes it hard to get close to her, and do things like feed her, because at the same time I'm possessed by an impure desire for her. I was ashamed and scared, of these feelings.

"Fate-chan, you're spacing out." Nanoha said, and I focused my attention on the task at hand.

"Sorry." I took another spoonful of soup and gave it to the girl, who gratefully ingested it.

"You've been like this for a while, is there something on your mind?"

I couldn't tell her that _she_ was that thing. So I made up a clever lie.

"Just some homework that needs to be done, I keep forgetting." For some reason Nanoha's eyes became sad, I regretted lying.

"Fate-chan, you know you don't have to come here everyday and do this."

"I know, Nanoha."

"_Do you?_" Her accusing tone was unexpected and even a little painful. "Just because I'm sick you don't have to take care of me. I want a friend, not a maid. I want you to be here because you like me, not out of pity."

I was a little shocked to hear her say that, because I had no idea what she'd been thinking until now. I was a bit mad, but also happy that she was thinking about me so much.

I hugged her and my heartbeat sped up even more.

"I'm here because I want to be, because your my friend. I . . . ." I almost slipped up and confessed my deepest feelings for her, but held my tongue, I had said enough to make her return my embrace.

"I just wanted to be sure, sorry for being so silly." I shook my head and dared to hug her even closer to my chest. "Say, Fate-chan . . . " She seemed hesitant, and trembled a little. "Would you stay by my side, no matter what?"

"Of course, I'll always be there for you." Before I realized it, Nanoha had taken up a lot of space in my heart, and now, I never wanted to be separated from her.

Her tremors stopped, and she took in a breath and exhaled it slowly. "Fate-chan, can you close your eyes for a minute?"

"Okay . . . ?" I didn't understand, but I did as she asked, and closed my eyes. She pulled away from me, and then, moments later, I felt a soft sensation on my lips.

I recognized this, this feeling. Her lips, Nanoha's lips were on mine, she was kissing me. I couldn't understand her motives, but at the very least, I wanted to enjoy this, so I moved into to kiss her back. She backed away before I could, and instructed me to open my eyes, and I did so.

Nanoha was crying, and now I was even more confused.

"Nanoha, what's wrong, why did you . . . ." The tears kept streaming down her face, but she looked more scared than sad.

"Fate-chan, I did this because . . . I love you, so much." She smiled briefly, but it crumpled as my mind scrambled to reason through her words. "That's why I can't hide this anymore. Its unfair to you."

Again she took in and exhaled a hot breath, which hit my face and tickled my nose. Her eyes became serious all of a sudden, her lips trembled and the tears flowed even harder than ever.

"Fate-chan I . . . I'm going to die soon."

And then the world came crashing down in an instant.


	7. Chapter 6

_Author's Note: Another short chapter, might stick to these kinds from now on. Anyway, thus begins the second half of this story. I have several endings in mind, some sad, some bittersweet, some absolutely miserable; I'm not sure which one I'll choose yet, but I think I have a good idea. Like always, enjoy, and I'll try to update this thing as quickly as possible. Thanks for all the nice reviews, I appreciate it.  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>The Red Strings Encompassing Fate's Flower<em>

_Keiko Yanagiri_

_Chapter 6: The Blue-Eyed Flower Strangled By Fate_

* * *

><p>Nanoha Takamachi was always destined to die quickly, to not live long enough to even see herself become an adult. Her heart was faulty, and her body weak; Even her brain had started to fail her in later years.<p>

But there was once a time when she had hope, hope for her survival, and hope for the future. Her father was working hard, sometimes even taking up 3 jobs at a time in order to raise the money needed to get her a new heart.

But then he died, and with him, her hopes were also buried. And now, with no more hope, she lives day by day, waiting for the moment of her death, unable to stop it, or even slow it down. Waiting, until the black and red grip of death wrapped its fingers around her throat.

* * *

><p>I sat at a table, with Nanoha on one side of me, and Momoko on the other. They'd just finished explaining the situation to me, and I didn't want to believe it, that Nanoha was really going to die.<p>

I didn't understand most of the specifics, just that her heart was bad and needed to be replaced. Either way, she didn't have a lot of time left, a year at most according to the doctors.

"That's too short . . . ." Nanoha smiled, and her tears had long stopped. She held my hand.

"Mom could you leave us alone for a moment?"

Momoko nodded and left, and the two of us were alone again.

"Fate-chan." She called my name and I was forced to look her in the eyes, painful as it was. "Thank you, but its enough now. You don't have to come here anymore."

"What . . . are you saying, Nanoha?" She squeezed my hand, her grip was so hard that it felt like my hand would break.

"If you keep seeing me like this, its only going to hurt you, and I don't want that. It would be better if we stopped seeing each other, for you, and for me."

I understood what she was saying now, but because I understood I couldn't accept it.

"Nanoha." I cupped her face in my hands, and drew close to her, kissing her just like she did to me before. She didn't resist, or move, she just accepted my affection and waited for me to pull away. "Nanoha, its too late for that. Before I realized it, you were already in my heart. I can't just pretend that none of this happened, I can't forget about you. I love you."

"I see. I don't know whether to be happy to sad now." My hand was still on her face, and she placed her own hand over it. More tears finally came, and rolled down her cheeks. "If you're sure, then I wont stop you. I don't want to let you go, so if you're fine with it, don't let me go, not until my heart stops beating."

"I promise that even afterward, I wont let go, Nanoha." She nodded and pushed her face into my chest, and shook as small cries came from her lips. No one interrupted us, and for a long time, an eternity, I sat there, holding her closer than ever.

* * *

><p>"I see, so its like that." Hayate's voice filtered through my cell phone. "I don't like this; watching her die, you shouldn't have to do something like that."<p>

"Thank you Hayate." I said, and fell down beside Nanoha, who was sleeping. "But I'm not going to change my mind. I wont leave her alone, I'll always be by her side, because that's what lovers do."

"Eh?" She was surprised, though less so than Mother was when I told her. "So you even went that far huh? All right, if that's really what you want, I'll support you all the way to the end. That's what best friends are for after all."

"Thanks."

"No problem. But when the . . . time comes, I hope you're prepared."

"I don't that will be possible, I did make a promise to her, so I wont break it."

"Thought so." And she sighed. "Good luck then, Fate-chan. I'll see you at school."

"Okay, thank you. Goodbye." I hung up and peaked over at Nanoha, who was still sleeping peacefully. I poked her face a few times, enjoying her cute reactions. Finally, I moved in close, and put my arms around her. And together, the two of us fell asleep side by side.


	8. Chapter 7

_Author's Note: We're getting close now, only two more chapters after this. This chapter will probably also give you an idea of what kind of writer I am. But here's another clue from the great witch Bernkastel. "When they're alive, you can enjoy watching them struggle. When they're dead, you can enjoy tearing out their guts." _

_Anyway, enjoy the chapter and look forward the conclusion, which I'll try to do some time next week.  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>The Red Strings Encompassing Fate's Flower<em>

_Keiko Yanagiri_

_Chapter 7: Rumbling Hearts_

* * *

><p>Nanoha lengthy cold finally passed after another week, but it had taken its toll on her, so she was still a bit weak. Neglecting my studies, I spent as much time with her as possible; that didn't make Mother very happy, but she understood and knew I wouldn't budge on this matter.<p>

When the two of us were together, we didn't do much more than the usual. To be honest, except for a little more physical closeness, nothing much had changed since we became lovers. Of course, that was fine by me, I just wanted her to save her strength and get better, even if it would only be for a little while.

We didn't talk about _it_, the fact that she was going to die in less than a year, and that it could happen at any time when her heart finally gave out. Whenever the subject came up, either she or I avoided it, as not to hurt one another with fears of the future. At some point, after numerous attempts at avoiding it, we just stopped bringing it up all together, and used what little time we had to enjoy the other's company.

* * *

><p>One particular night, once Nanoha was feeling much better, things took a sudden shift. I was sleeping over again, and it was already late, but neither of us could sleep a wink.<p>

"Hey Fate-chan."

"Yes Nanoha?"

The two of us were facing away from each other, but then Nanoha suddenly flipped over and grabbed me from behind. Her hair fell over my face, and I could smell the shampoo she'd used on it from the bath earlier.

"Fate-chan, lets kiss." My face flared up scarlet, but I was surprisingly calm, and turned over to face her, nodding.

We drew into each other, our lips touched lightly, and then more roughly a second later. Then we parted and came at each other with even more vigor, this time twisting our tongues together, though very gently for the time being. We'd never done this before, and it was surprisingly pleasant, and arousing; the sensation of which began to stir up a heat in my heart and between my legs.

This feeling was not new; many times, I had touched myself down there, wanting to relieved that heat, to cool it somehow. Sometimes I thought about Nanoha, other times my mind was blank. And now I wondered, as I was deeply kissing the girl I loved, whether or not she had done the same, and had she been thinking of me when she did.

The perverse desire in my heart manifested right now, and I reached over to Nanoha and softly touched the tip of her breasts. She made a sound, but didn't push me away, so I continued and cupped my whole hand around, and squeezed. The sound of her moaning became a little louder, it was making me excited.

My other hand took hold of her face and I pulled her closer to me, as if I was trying to consume her. Our breathing became heavier. In response I moved my hand from her breast to her leg, and then in between, feeling the wet spot on her pajamas.

"Ahnn!" We naturally pulled apart after she cried out.

"I-I'm sorry Nanoha!"

"Its okay Fate-chan. Its just . . . I've never done this, not even by myself. But if its you, then its fine."

The two of us blushed, and I nodded, touching her a little more, rubbing and poking. She moaned again, and through her voice I could hear the small tingles of pleasure that I had experienced on my own.

It continued like that for a few minutes, until she finally shivered and clung to me, gripping my body so tightly I though I'd break.

"Are you alright, Nanoha?" Her chest moved quickly up and down, she nodded and hugged me.

"It . . . felt good." I squeezed her, feeling her warmth. Somehow, I felt a bit unsatisfied myself, perhaps because I too wanted to be touched like that.

"Nanoha . . . ." I was so worried about asking her, thinking that maybe she was tired, but regardless I worked up the courage. "Do you . . . do you want to keep going?"

She was silent for a little while, but finally she looked me in the eyes.

"Okay."

We stripped, facing away from each other. We bathed separately, so this was the first time that we have been naked together, it was kind of embarrassing.

When we turned around I was stunned by her figure. Before I had been simply captivated, but now I was ensnared by my love for her.

"D-Don't stare at me like that Fate-chan . . . ."

"S-Sorry."

Not knowing what else to do, we climbed back into bed and held each other, feeling are naked skin against one another. It was a lot different than usual, but somehow, much more wonderful.

That night, it was the first time that we had sex. Consumed by desire and fear and longing, we held onto each other and took a new step together into an adulthood that couldn't last, no matter how much we both wanted it too.

* * *

><p>I woke up, the light of the sun coming through Nanoha's window. I felt refreshed, but also a little sore. I remembered every detail of last night, every touch, kiss and ounce of joy and pleasure.<p>

I blushed and held my face, finally feeling the full weight of what we'd done.

_We had sex, Nanoha and I had sex! _

Excitement crept up inside me all over again. I smiled and turned down to Nanoha.

Something wasn't right. Her skin was pale again, and she was covering in sweat, breathing so heavily in her sleep that you'd think that our night hadn't ended.

"Nanoha . . . ?" I lightly touched my hand to her forehead, it was burning up. And then, scared, I felt her chest, and her quick heart beat.

And then it came, the cry of pain from her lips. My eyes became wide as she suddenly thrashed and winced and cried even more. Shaking, all I could do was hold her and call her name.

"Nanoha!"


	9. Chapter 8

_Author's Note: Hey its been a while, hasn't it? This took so long because I had to move and readjust myself to living back home. Anyway this will be the final chapter, mostly because I took too long of a break and all my ideas and enthusiasm kind of disappeared in that span of time. Since this is the last chapter, things will be moving very quickly, so please don't be too surprised! That's about all I have to say. I'm not sure what I'll do after this; I kind of want to write a short story, so that will probably take up a lot of time. Nevertheless, I do have some ideas of my next Nanoha project, so expect something in the future, be it a one shot or a full story. Last thing; please remember, this is not a harsh or sorrowful story. Thanks for reading.  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>The Red Strings Encompassing Fate's Flower<em>

_Keiko Yanagiri_

_Final Chapter: Goodnight, My Love_

* * *

><p>Everything was coming down, the entire world was crumbling before my eyes, and I could do nothing to stop the destruction. Nanoha's life, which was already fragile, had begun to diminish even more. She wasn't going to die yet, but the end was coming soon, we all realized this.<p>

I should have known, I should have realized it, that Nanoha's current state was my fault. If it wasn't for me, she probably would have lived longer, without my presence to excite and deteriorate her broken heart. Only now did I realize, that it would have been better if we'd never met. At the very least, she could have extended her life for just a little longer if I wasn't there to destroy it. That is what I was thinking at the moment.

Right now, Nanoha was asleep, and wouldn't wake for a while. The doctors were examining her, and during that time, Momoko and I remained in the hospital lobby, where she comforted me, or at least tried to. I felt like that was backwards, I was supposed to be the one giving her comfort. This only shows what a child I am. From the beginning, Momoko was prepared to accept this cursed fate, and had already steeled her heart for this moment. And yet I couldn't stop my tears, even though I told myself to be strong.

Mother eventually showed up as well, taking over for Momoko while she went to check the status of her daughter. The time passed slowly, painfully so, and I had to wonder if it was even passing at all.

When Momoko returned, her face was grim and cold. She called me over and I listened to her explain everything. Nanoha didn't have much longer, maybe a few months at best, because of unforeseen complications with her heart. All we could do now was watch her parish, slowly, in excruciating pain. With this realization, time suddenly started to flow again.

* * *

><p>When Nanoha woke up I was the first one by her bedside, and the only one since Momoko had some things to take care of.<p>

"Good morning, Fate-chan." She said, causally, even though she should already know how serious this situation is.

"Nanoha . . . ." It was all I could get out, that sad, sorrowful mention of her name. I collapsed on her, taking hold of her and unloading my tears onto her chest.

"Fate-chan, its all right." She stroked my hair, and the sensation of her fingers only made it more painful for me. "I'm sorry." She took my face in her hands and forced me to look at her. "This isn't your fault, you know that, don't you?"

"But . . . but . . . ."

"I've lived my entire life waiting to die, a life without happiness. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, you gave this short life meaning. That's why, please don't cry; I'm happy right now."

"Nanoha . . . ." She pierced through my heart with those words, and in a single moment, cleansed the darkness consuming me.

We kissed, it was soft and simple. And when I looked at her again, I felt like we had become one, and could sense the joy within her. And for the first time since she collapsed, I smiled.

* * *

><p>A month later, even though it seemed like she might recover, Nanoha's condition began to worsen. With each day that passed her body became weaker, and the pain in her chest increased. It became so bad that she had to be on medication most of the time in order to keep her from losing her mind.<p>

With nothing else to do, I stayed by her side and watched over her, even though it hurt so much to see her like this. To pass the time, we talked about everything except her impending death. But sometimes we also just remained quiet and leaned against each other, still as dolls. All the while I remained ever conscious of the fact that she was getting weaker with each day.

* * *

><p>On the second month Nanoha collapsed while trying to get out of bed. I had only stepped out for a minute, and yet I came back to find her body on the floor.<p>

She was still alive, but at this point could go at any time. They had to give her even more medication now, in order to keep her relaxed, so that she wouldn't try something so foolish again.

* * *

><p>The third month came, and even the doctors were surprised that she'd lasted this long, but asked us not to get our hopes up, and that this was likely just a temporary recovery as her body fights to remain alive.<p>

* * *

><p>In the middle of the fourth month, Nanoha said something to me.<p>

"Fate-chan, listen . . . ." Her voice was shaky and soft, like a whisper, or the wind. "Its almost time." The old me would have cried when I heard this, but in these four months, I've had time to prepare myself.

I reached for her hand and she let me take it.

"Nanoha, what am I . . . ."

_What am I supposed to do when you're gone?_

Her hand squeezed mine, she smiled, and I smiled back.

"Fate-chan, I want you to do something for me."

"What is it? I'll do anything for you." She giggled and looked out the window, toward the setting sun.

"Can you take me up to the roof, I'd like to see the sunset." My eyes widened, and I crushed her hand.

"Nanoha . . . ."

"Please, Fate-chan?" Her eyes pleaded with me. She was so cruel, she knew I couldn't resist her, even if it meant killing her.

"Okay. I'll be right back."

She nodded and I left the room, taking out my cell phone and calling Momoko. I explained to her what was going on, and she was going to rush over here, and told me not to do anything foolish. But I'd already made up my mind.

"I'm sorry, Momoko-san." And I hung up, going back into the room to see Nanoha smiling face.

It was still cold outside, I helped her up and put my coat on her. Carefully I supported her body and we slipped out of the room, and sneaked around until we found the entrance to the roof.

Climbing the stairs, I felt her body shake and heard her breathing becoming heavy. Still I pushed on, and took her with me.

When I opened the door a blast of cold air hit us, and I shielded Nanoha from it, taking all of it on my back. Afterward I took her hand and guided her along to the edge of the roof, where a chain link fence stood between us, and the ground below.

"Is this all right?" She nodded and we sat down, and held each other for warmth as we looked into the sky and out into the landscape.

"Its beautiful." Nanoha said, her eyes shinning. "I've never seen such a wonderful sunset." I took my arm and placed it around her.

"Yeah." My body was cold, but feeling Nanoha next to me, it was one of the warmest sensations I've ever experienced.

And we stayed like that, for all eternity. As the sun started to descend even more, I felt her body become still.

"Fate-chan . . . ." Her voice was almost inaudible. "Thank you for being with me. I love you."

"I love you too, Nanoha." I said in response, holding her even more tightly.

"Thank you." She leaned against me, her head touching my shoulder. "I'm a little tired, can I close my eyes now?"

"Yeah." I said, and a tear slipped down my face.

"Goodnight, Fate-chan." I titled my head, so that it would touch hers.

"Goodnight, Nanoha."

She nodded and closed her eyes. I felt her body push even harder against me, shaking some more, and then becoming still once again.

The door opened behind us, with a some nurses and Momoko coming in a panic.

"Shhhh." I held a finger to my lips, and as my tears poured out of me, I looked down at Nanoha. Our hands were clasped together. And then I looked at her face, and saw the most angelic and incredible smile, one I wouldn't forget for the rest of my life.

As the other approached from behind, slowly, cautiously, still not knowing what was happening, I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of the skies. And in my heart, I heard Nanoha's voice. And in response, I said something to her heart as well.

"_Goodnight and sweet dreams, my love." _


End file.
